amusing interlude
by shel
Summary: missing scenes from season 4's 'muse to my ears'...oneshot...


**CHARMED**

**"Amusing Interlude"**

by shel

© september2005

_disclaimer: the charmed ones, cole, and leo, and the rest of the cast of characters we've come to know and love, belong to spelling television, inc. and possible other copyright holders. i intended no true infringement on their copyrights; i only wanted to borrow these marvelous characters for a short time in my own scenarios and hopefully return them no worse for wear; the only things i've gained from this story are the satisfaction and pleasure of having written it and in knowing that others may have enjoyed it too…_

_rating: pg-13_

_summary: missing scenes from season 4's 'muse to my ears'…_

_archive: please don't without expressed permission…_

_notes: the muse called out to be heard after watching the repeat of this episode…please let me know if you enjoyed my tale and why and, if not, why not…and, please, don't bother wasting your time or mine by sending any flames…_

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Phoebe felt the day's anxieties begin to wash away under the steaming spray of the shower. _'What a day,'_ she mused. She'd experienced so many highs and lows, all of which revolved around Cole and their relationship. She sighed wondering what she could do to put him at ease. He'd said he understood her desire to want him to be safe while demons took advantage of the Source's injury but he'd said that before. Just as he'd said before that he understood her postponing an answer to his proposal which, she'd just found out from Piper, wasn't exactly true. 

She lathered up her mesh sponge and began to scrub her neck. How could he have thought she'd've sent him to their room at the first hint of danger? Did he really think she didn't respect his intelligence or his strength? She continued to wash her neck and shoulders and wondered how she could convince him that he could still help them even without his powers. But a nagging thought kept intruding. Was she sending him mixed signals? _'Do I keep harping on the fact that he doesn't have his powers? Am I hurting him when I keep reminding him that he's human now?'_

She closed her eyes and ducked her head under the spray again. He saved me today, without his powers. Why didn't that make him feel better? _'Why'd he suddenly run off and leave me after he'd agreed to stay at Bev's party?'_ Why weren't they celebrating Devlin's vanquish and the loss of at least that faction? "Oh, Cole," she murmured as she picked up her shampoo, "you're the one who needs a night off, not me." Her own plans for a romantic dinner the night before fell apart when all he'd talked about were demons and factions. And now he was off running some mysterious errand. _'There'll be other parties,'_ she sighed as she rubbed the shampoo a bit too vigorously in her hair, _'although it sure would've been fun to dress up for a change.'_ Still, as long as Cole was okay, that was all that really mattered. _'As long as he doesn't come home with another gun…'_

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Amazingly enough, without his ability to shimmer, he was still quiet enough that she hadn't heard him enter. He didn't recognize the tune she was humming to herself and, as Cole quickly stripped down to his birthday suit, he didn't care. He approached the shower door and carefully opened it. She was standing directly under the spray with her eyes closed and her back to him and must have been lost in thought because she still hadn't turned in his direction.

He stepped in and gasped with pleasure when Phoebe suddenly arched her back, stretching her arms up high. _'She is so beautiful…'_

She jumped when the hands slid around her waist and she felt the kiss on her neck. "Cole?"

He carefully turned her around to face him, "You expecting someone else to join you in the shower?"

She stared at him suspiciously, "I wasn't even expecting you…what're you doing?"

"Conserving water," he replied with a kiss to her lips. When she let out a moan of pleasure, he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. "How's that for inspiration?"

"Perfect, but leave Melody out of this," she murmured before indicating her desire for more. As he complied, she brushed her fingers up along his shoulders before wrapping her hands around his neck. "If I knew you'd be joining me," she mentioned breathlessly as they parted slightly for air, "I'd've taken a bubble bath instead."

"A bubble bath?" he scoffed. "Demons do not take bubble baths."

She let the reference slide and assured him, "Ah, but you've never taken a bubble bath with me before." He didn't look any more enthused and she grinned slyly, "Yeah, I think we'll need to expand your horizons, if you know what I mean."

He followed her gaze down toward his lower anatomy and he nearly choked from his immediate reaction. "Maybe we ought to give your idea a shot," he conceded.

"A little late now," she giggled and pressed herself closer to him for another hard kiss.

He enjoyed the sensations before suddenly dropping his arms from around her and letting out a string of curses.

Stung, Phoebe stepped back, further away, right into the shower knobs. She yelped in pain and brought her hand to the small of her back. And when he moved closer to her, she tried to step out of reach by dodging to the side.

"Phoebe, stop," he requested as she fumbled with shutting off the water and flung open the door. "Please, let me explain."

She refused to look at him, "What's there to explain, Cole? You didn't have to say it in so many colorful words, some of which I've never even heard of. You don't want me."

"How can you say that?" he barked as he yanked her back into the shower.

"Let go of me," she demanded, fighting her tears.

"Phoebe, I love you," he stated. He wiped away the tears from her cheeks and repeated, "I love you."

"Then what's wrong?" she snapped. "How could you kiss me like that and then curse me out? How's that love?"

"It wasn't you, Phoebe, it was me. I wanted you so badly and I tried to shimmer us to bed," he admitted. "I forgot. What an ass…" he muttered to himself.

Her heart nearly tore in half from the pain she saw etched in his face. "Oh, baby," she whispered as she immediately hugged him, "oh, baby, I'm so, so, sorry."

Cole buried his face in the crook of her neck, "I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to be just human."

She tightened her embrace and promised, "You will. It'll take time but you will." She pulled back and turned the water on again, "It's not a bubble bath but this still might help you relax." He tried to protest but she shushed him as she moved behind him, careful to keep touching him at all times, and began to run the sponge along his shoulders and back. And, along each spot she rubbed, she placed a tender kiss.

She silently continued her ministrations over his entire body, making sure he remained quiet the entire time, until she was back where she started. She handed him the sponge to hang on the hot water knob and began to knead the muscles in his lower back. He reached behind and pulled her close to him and she wrapped her arms around his waist. She let out a soft moan when he blindly began massaging the ache in her lower back. But as his fingers trailed lower, she stopped him in order to say, "I have faith in you, Cole. I believe in you but you don't have to go through this alone."

His fingers stopped moving and rested on her butt while he waited, a bit too anxiously, for her to continue.

With the side of her face pressed to his back, she was almost positive she could hear his heart racing. "I'm here, Cole, and I want to help. I'll be with you every step of the way. Tell me what you want and I'll do it."

"Love me," he croaked. "I can't do any of this without your love."

She carefully maneuvered herself to stand in front of him and hoped he saw all the love she felt for him in the smile she offered. But in case he didn't, "I love you, Cole Turner, and I always will."

He responded by gathering her in his arms and holding her, clinging to her, as the water cascaded down around them.

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While Cole toweled himself off, Phoebe snuck a peek into the hallway. "Coast is clear."

He rolled his eyes, "I told you before, Paige is upstairs in the attic and is likely to be there for most of the night while Piper and Leo are in the kitchen making the most of a romantic dinner for two."

"And they're likely to orb straight to their room for dessert," she giggled before turning around and freezing. She couldn't speak much less think at the sight of him wrapping the towel around his waist. _'Perfect specimen of the male species,'_ she marveled. _'How did I ever get so lucky?'_

"Phoebe… You've got this…evil grin on your face," he warily informed her.

"Evil, huh." She grinned. _'Yeah, evil just about covers everything I was thinking.'_

"Phoebe…" he'd stretched out the syllables of her name. "It doesn't have anything to do with that bubble bath, does it," he warned, "because I think I've had as much water now as I can take without shriveling up like a prune."

She couldn't help but ogle him, lingering on one of her favorite parts, "You don't look so shriveled to me." Suddenly, she grabbed his hand and tugged him to the door, "Come on, suddenly I'm famished for dessert."

Cole yanked her back and pulled her close for a kiss. He licked his lips after and lustily suggested, "Maybe we should see exactly what will satisfy you."

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He pushed her down on the bed, pressed himself on top of her and, with one hand, swept aside the boxes he'd placed there earlier.

Phoebe broke free from his kiss in surprise. "What was that?"

"Nothing," he answered distractedly as he kissed her neck and loosened her robe's belt.

"No, Cole," she squirmed, "what fell off the bed? I didn't leave anything here." When he reluctantly let up, she twisted herself in order to see over the edge of the bed. "What're those?"

He sighed knowing that her curiosity wouldn't let up until she knew the answer and that the moment for savoring "dessert" had most definitely passed. "They're costumes," he replied.

She looked at him in confusion, "Costumes for what?"

"For the party at P3." He sighed again when she shoved him back in order to pick up the boxes. "I figured you'd want to check out Beverly's party so I ordered them this morning after Piper mentioned the theme."

"You did?" she asked excitedly as she struggled with opening the first box. "Oh, Cole, it's a uniform," she fingered the realistic strip of medals, "I can't believe you did this."

"Almost didn't," he admitted. "The place was closed and until I called in a favor to --"

"Cole! You didn't break in and steal these did you?" she exclaimed in shock.

He glared at her, "I told you I ordered them this morning. They were waiting for me to pick them up but with everything that happened…"

"So what kind of favor did you need?"

"Turns out the owner of the store was someone who'd been helped out by one of my first cases here as an A.D.A.," he explained. "But it took a while to go through some of my files in order to find the guy's home number." He sat up completely and concluded, "And then I had to wait for him to meet me at the store in order to give me the costumes and…well, that's what took so long."

"Oh, Cole," she leaped up and kissed him excitedly which caused him to fall back on the bed, "that is soooo romantic. I love you."

"And I am soooo confused," he sighed as her robe opened, leaving her soft skin tantalizingly exposed to his. Human or not, he wasn't sure he'd ever figure her out. And as her fingers deftly pushed away his towel, he realized that, at that moment, he definitely didn't care.

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Phoebe stood at the top of the staircase and watched Cole sit at the bar. She was so happy he'd gone along with her idea of putting the costumes to use by heading out to P3 despite the very late hour. Of course, it wasn't as easy convincing him to take the car and drive on ahead so she could make a grand entrance in the costume she'd refused to let him see on her. Piper hadn't been too thrilled either when she'd interrupted her older sister's romantic evening with the request for Leo to orb her to P3. But a promise to clean up after the party and set up the club for the next three nights did the trick and now here she was. _'God is he handsome. I can't believe he loves me.'_

She began walking carefully down the steps and her heart skipped a beat when he turned around.

Cole automatically stood and his heart pounded in his chest as Phoebe slowly made her way down the rest of the stairs. _'I can't believe how beautiful she is or that she loves me. '_

He held his hand out to her, inviting her closer.

Phoebe smiled but took her time to reach him. And when she did, she simply gazed into his eyes.

The love they each saw reflected back was nearly overwhelming and no words were needed.

She accepted his hand and leaned into his embrace, forgetting all the day's worries.

Cole bent his head and closed his eyes for a moment, realizing their worries could wait.

They had the rest of their lives to figure it all out.

Tonight would forever belong to them, lovers without a care in the world.

_**the end…**_


End file.
